Toys for pets, and methods for making and using toys for pets

ABSTRACT

A toy for a pet generally includes a housing defining an opening, and an insert configured to fit at least partly within the opening of the housing. The insert is expandable from a first configuration in which the insert is capable of freely moving into and/or out of the opening of the housing to a second configuration in which the insert is inhibited from moving out of the opening of the housing. In some aspects, the insert is configured to substantially fill the opening of the housing when in the second configuration. In some aspect, the housing may have multiple openings, each capable of receiving an insert. And, in some aspects, the insert is expandable from the first configuration to the second configuration by heating the insert or exposing the insert to microwave energy.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/248,965, filed on Apr. 9, 2014. The disclosure of the aboveapplication is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to toys for pets, and tomethods for making and using such toys.

BACKGROUND

This section provides background information related to the presentdisclosure which is not necessarily prior art.

Pet toys exist in various forms, and can be made from numerous differentmaterials (e.g., edible materials, inedible materials, etc.).

SUMMARY

This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not acomprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.

Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate totoys. In one exemplary embodiment, a toy for a pet generally includes ahousing defining an opening, and an insert configured to fit at leastpartly within the opening of the housing and then be expanded tosubstantially fill the opening.

In another exemplary embodiment, a toy for a pet generally includes ahousing defining at least one opening, and an insert configured to fitat least partly within the at least one opening of the housing. Theinsert is expandable, when subjected to a catalyst, from a firstconfiguration in which the insert is capable of freely moving intoand/or out of the at least one opening of the housing to a secondconfiguration in which the insert is inhibited from moving out of the atleast one opening of the housing.

Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure also generally relate tomethods for making toys. In one exemplary embodiment, a method formaking a toy for a pet generally includes expanding an insert within ahousing of the toy, so that the insert is inhibited from moving out ofthe housing.

Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the descriptionprovided herein. The description and specific examples in this summaryare intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended tolimit the scope of the present disclosure.

DRAWINGS

The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only ofselected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are notintended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a pet toyaccording to the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a side view of a housing of the pet toy of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of an insert of the pet toy of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the pet toy of FIG. 1, with the insert shownpositioned generally within an interior portion of the housing;

FIG. 5 is another side view of the pet toy of FIG. 1, with the insertshown positioned generally within the interior portion of the housing;

FIG. 6 is the side view of FIG. 4, with the insert shown expanded andgenerally filling the interior portion of the housing;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of a pettoy according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is the perspective view of FIG. 7, with an insert of the pet toyshown positioned generally within an interior portion of a housing ofthe pet toy;

FIG. 9 is the perspective view of FIG. 8, with the insert shown expandedand generally filling the interior portion of the housing;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a housingsuitable for use with pet toys of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of an insertsuitable for use with pet toys of the present disclosure;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of a pettoy according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 13 is the perspective view of FIG. 12, with inserts of the pet toyshown positioned generally within an interior portion of a housing ofthe pet toy;

FIG. 14 is the perspective view of FIG. 13, with the inserts shownexpanded within the interior portion of the housing;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of a pettoy according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 16 is the perspective view of FIG. 15, with an insert of the pettoy shown positioned generally within an opening of a housing of the pettoy; and

FIG. 17 is the perspective view of FIG. 16, with the insert shownexpanded and generally filling the opening of the housing;

Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The inventor hereof has developed, and discloses herein, exemplaryembodiments of toys. In various aspects, the toys are for pets, wherethe pets can chew on and/or play with the toys as desired. But it shouldbe appreciated that the toys may also be for animals other than petswithin the scope of the present disclosure.

Exemplary embodiments of the toys generally include housings (e.g.,outer portions, external portions, shells, covers, etc.) and inserts(e.g., inner portions, internal portions, etc.). The inserts areconfigured to fit at least partially within the housings, with thehousings positioned at least partially around the inserts. And, theinserts are then configured to be expanded (e.g., upon addition of,application of, etc. catalysts; etc.) (e.g., from first configurationsto second configurations, etc.), at least partially within the housings,to thereby fill (to various extents) interior portions of the housingswith the inserts (e.g., mimicking marrow in bones, etc.). In so doing,the expanded inserts are securely coupled to, coupled with, retained in,inhibited from moving out of, etc. the housings (e.g., such that petscan then chew on and/or play with the toys, etc.).

In some aspects, the housings of the toys may define particular features(e.g., openings, etc.) for receiving the inserts. For example, thehousings may define openings (e.g., channels, etc.) that extendcompletely through the housings (e.g., such that the housings generallyhave hollow interiors, etc.). Or, the housings may define openings(e.g., recesses, folds, cavities, etc.) that extend only partially intoand/or through the housings (e.g., defining interior portions within thehousings, etc.), or that interconnect with other openings defined by thehousings (e.g., with other channels, other recesses, other folds, othercavities, etc.). The openings may be generally uniform in shape, or theopenings may be generally non-uniform in shape. In addition, thehousings may include any desired number of such features (e.g., one,two, more than two, etc.), or any combination of such features (e.g.,various combinations of openings, recesses, folds, cavities, etc.).Further, interior portions of the features may include structures (e.g.,textures, ribbings, grooves, crevasses, dimples, protrusions, bumps,ridges, etc.) and/or may include applications (e.g., adhesives, etc.)that additionally help couple, retain, hold, etc. (e.g., via friction,via adhesion, etc.) the inserts and the housings together, after theinserts are expanded in the housings (e.g., that help hold, couple,retain, etc. the inserts against, in contact with, etc. the interiorportions of the housings, etc.).

The housings and/or the inserts of the toys can also define any suitableshapes within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, andwithout limitation, the housings may be shaped as cylinders, cups,bones, balls, tacos, other folded shapes, other uniform shapes, othernon-uniform shapes, etc. And, the inserts may be shaped, withoutlimitation, as sticks, rods, pellets, other uniform shapes, othernon-uniform shapes, etc. In addition, outer surfaces of the housingsand/or the inserts may be smooth or, alternatively, they may be textured(e.g., may include ribbings, grooves, dimples, protrusions, bumps, etc.)to help pets or other animals grasp the housings and/or inserts duringuse. Further, the housings and/or the inserts may be generally rigid instructure or they may be soft, as desired (e.g., depending on desiredmaterials used to form the housings and/or the inserts, etc.).

In addition, the housings and/or the inserts of the toys can beconstructed from any suitable materials or combination of materialswithin the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the housingsand/or the inserts may be constructed from (without limitation) inediblematerials that include natural bone, molded rubber, synthetic rubber,natural rubber, polymeric resins, other elastomeric materials, tiresidewalls, Kevlar®, Teflon®, other polymers, other suitable inediblematerials, combinations thereof, etc. and/or edible materials thatinclude solids from yak and/or cow milk, starch based expandableproducts, pelletized pork products, expanding foam products, rennetcasein and gelatin, beaded corn starch and calcium carbonate,polyesteramide and starch, plasticized mixtures, paste/liquid/foams,jerky materials, rawhide materials, other edible substances,combinations thereof, etc. In various aspects, at the least, the insertsare formed from materials that are also expandable (e.g., due to releaseof gasses, due to other actions, etc.) upon addition of or exposure tosuitable catalysts (e.g., heat, cold, fluid (e.g., water, etc.),leavening agents and acids, pressure and carbon dioxide, electric orwave energy, other physical and/or chemical reactants/agents, etc.). Inaddition, or alternatively, the housings may be formed from materialsthat contract and/or shrink upon addition of such catalysts, or frommaterials that deform, flex, etc. (e.g., resiliently, mechanically,etc.) when the inserts expand within the housings (e.g., as a result ofthe inserts applying forces on the housings and causing them to deformto accommodate the expanding inserts, etc.). As can be appreciated, theparticular catalysts used to expand the inserts and/or contract (and/orshrink) the housings may depend on the materials used to form theinserts and/or the housings. Further, in some aspects, the insertsand/or housings may also have flavors and/or scents added thereto toimprove their attraction to pets, and/or may be constructed frommaterials that are crunchy, moist, soft, mimic natural marrow, etc.

With reference now to the drawings, FIGS. 1-6 illustrate an exemplaryembodiment of a toy 100 including one or more aspects of the presentdisclosure. Without limitation, the toy 100 is described herein as a pettoy 100, for use by pets where the pets can play with, chew on, etc. thetoy 100. However, it should be appreciated that the toy 100 may also (oralternatively) be provided to and/or used by animals other than petswithin the scope of the present disclosure.

As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the illustrated pet toy 100 generally includes ahousing 102, and an insert 104 configured to be positioned within thehousing 102. The housing 102 defines a generally hollow cylinder shape,having an opening 106 (e.g., a cavity, a non-restrictive opening, etc.)extending completely through the housing 102. And, the insert 104 isgenerally rod shaped, having a generally elongate and tubular body. Withthat said, in other exemplary embodiments pet toys may include housingsand/or inserts having other shapes, for example, preformed housings,housings that define bone shapes, ball shapes, etc. and/or inserts thatdefine square shapes, rectangular shapes, pellet shapes, etc.

In the illustrated embodiment, the housing 102 of the pet toy 100 isformed from an inedible and durable elastomeric material (e.g.,synthetic rubber, etc.), and the insert 104 is formed from an expandableand edible material (e.g., a combination of cow milk, salt, and limejuice; etc.). As such, the housing 102 generally provides a toycomponent for the pet to play with, and the insert 104 provides a treatcomponent for the pet to eat as the pet plays with the toy 100. Inaddition, with this construction of the pet toy 100, the housing 102 isconfigured to outlast the insert 104 when the pet toy 100 is provided tothe pet (such that the housing 102 is reusable). For example, when theinsert 104 is consumed (or depleted) by the pet, another insert can bepositioned in the housing 102, in the same manner as described hereinfor the insert 104, allowing for multiple refills of the housing 102with inserts and continued/repeated use of the pet toy 100, beforeconsumption or degradation of the reusable housing 102 occurs. With thatsaid, the housing 102 and/or the insert 104 of the pet toy 100 may beformed from other materials within the scope of the present disclosure.For example, the housing 102 may be formed from other durable inediblematerials such as (and without limitation) natural bone, polymericresins, tire sidewalls, other elastomeric materials, Kevlar®, Teflon®,other polymers, combinations thereof, etc. And, the insert 104 may beformed from other expandable and edible materials such as (and withoutlimitation) solids from yak and/or cow milk, starch based expandableproducts, pelletized pork products, expanding foam products, rennetcasein and gelatin, beaded corn starch and calcium carbonate,polyesteramide and starch, plasticized mixtures, paste/liquid/foams,other edible substances, combinations thereof, etc.

With additional reference now to FIGS. 4-6, the insert 104 of the pettoy 100 is configured to be positioned within the opening 106 of thehousing 102, and then expanded (via a catalyst) to couple the insert 104and the housing 102 together. For example, the insert 104 is initiallyplaced in the opening 106 of the housing 102 before being expanded(FIGS. 4 and 5). And the toy 100, with the insert 104 placed in theopening 106 of the housing 102, is then heated or exposed to microwaveenergy (e.g., using a microwave, etc.) to expand the insert 104 withinthe housing's opening 106 (e.g., via release of gasses within the insert104, via other actions occurring in the insert 104, etc.). In variousaspects, the insert 104, when not expanded, may be viewed as a firstconfiguration of the insert 104, and then the insert 104, when expanded,may be viewed as a second configuration of the insert 104.

In the illustrated embodiment, a cross section of the insert 104 isgenerally smaller than a corresponding cross section of the housing'sopening 106 (FIG. 4) to allow the insert 104, before being expanded, toeasily fit within the opening 106 (e.g., to freely move into and/or outof the opening 106, etc.) without interference (e.g., a cross-sectionalarea of the insert 104 may be about 10% smaller, about 20% smaller,about 30% smaller, about 40% smaller, about 50% smaller, about 75%smaller, other amounts smaller, etc. than a correspondingcross-sectional area of the housing's opening 106). And, a length of theinsert 104 is generally greater than a corresponding length of thehousing 102, such that end portions 108, 110 of the insert 104 extendout of the housing 102 through the opening 106 (FIG. 5) (e.g., to helpfacilitate positioning of the unexpanded insert 104 in the housing'sopening 106, to help facilitate retaining the expanded insert 104 in thehousing's opening 106, etc.). After expansion, the insert 104substantially fills the housing's opening 106 (and is inhibited frommoving out of the housing 102) and the end portions 108, 110 of theinsert 104 expand generally around at least part of end portions 112,114 of the housing 102 (FIG. 6), which helps seat, secure, retain,provide a generally tight fitting of, inhibit movement of, etc. theinsert 104 in the housing 102. In addition, the end portions 108, 110 ofthe expanded insert 104, extending out of the housing 102, are readilyaccessible to the pet as the pet plays with the toy 100 (e.g., for thepet to eat, for the pet to dig out of the housing 102, etc.). In someaspects, this fit between the insert 104 and the housing 102 can alsohelp regulate access to, consumption of, etc. the insert 104 by the pet(e.g., the generally tight fit between the insert 104 and the housing102 inhibits the pet from simply pulling the insert 104 out of thehousing 102, etc.).

As described above, the insert 104 of the illustrated pet toy 100 isconstructed from edible material (e.g., a combination of cow milk, salt,and lime juice; etc.) that expands when heated or when microwave energyis applied thereto. In other exemplary embodiments, the insert 104 maybe constructed from other materials that expand when exposed to othercatalysts. In addition (or alternatively), the housing 102 of the pettoy 100 may be constructed from other materials that generally contractand/or shrink when exposed to the catalysts, and/or that resilientlydeform when accommodating the expanding insert 104.

The housing 102 and/or the insert 104 of the pet toy 100 can be providedin any suitable size. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, thehousing 102 is sized (e.g., includes a diameter, etc.) so as togenerally fit within a mouth of a medium-sized dog. And, the insert 104is sized so as to fit within the opening 106 of the housing 102 (e.g.,so as to move freely into and out of the opening 106 withoutinterference, etc.) before being expanded, and to generally fill theopening 106 of the housing 102 after being expanded. However, a size ofthe housing 102 can be changed, as desired, so that the pet toy 100 canbe used by animals having larger or smaller sized mouths. In addition, asize of the insert 104 can be changed as needed to ensure proper fittingin the housing's opening 106, both before being expanded and after beingexpanded. Factors affecting the size of the insert 104 may include(without limitation) a size of the housing 102, a size of the opening106 of the housing 102, a density and/or moisture content of the housing102 and/or the insert 104, the materials used to construct the housing102 and/or the insert 104, various other properties of the housing 102and/or the insert 104 that may affect amounts of expansion and/orcontraction, etc.

FIGS. 7-9 illustrate another exemplary embodiment of a toy 200 includingone or more aspects of the present disclosure. Again without limitation,the toy 200 is described herein as a pet toy 200, for use by pets wherethe pets can play with, chew on, etc. the toy 200. However, it should beappreciated that the toy 200 may also (or alternatively) be provided toand/or used by animals other than pets within the scope of the presentdisclosure.

The pet toy 200 of this embodiment is similar to the pet toy 100previously described and illustrated n FIGS. 1-6. For example, the pettoy 200 generally includes a housing 202, and an insert 204 configuredto be positioned within the housing 202. The insert 204 is then alsoconfigured to be expanded (using suitable catalysts) within the housing202 to couple the insert 204 and the housing 202 together. In thisembodiment, the housing 202 defines a generally bowl shape having anopening 206 (e.g., a recess, a restrictive opening, etc.) extendingtherein. The opening 206 extends only partially into the housing 202,and does not extend completely through the housing 202 (although inother exemplary embodiments, the opening 206 may extend completelythrough the housing 202). And, the insert 204 is generally oval shaped(e.g., defining a pellet, etc.), and configured to fit at leastpartially within the opening 206 of the housing 202 (e.g., the insert204, before being expanded, is generally smaller than the opening 206 ofthe housing 202 so that the insert 204 can be positioned within (e.g.,is free to move into and out of, etc.) the opening 206 withoutinterference from the housing 202, etc.). In other exemplaryembodiments, pet toys may include housings and/or inserts having othershapes, for example, preformed housings, housings that define boneshapes, ball shapes, taco shapes, other folded shapes, etc. and/orinserts that define square shapes, rectangular shapes, pellet shapes,other shapes, etc.

The housing 202 of the illustrated pet toy 200 is again formed from aninedible and durable elastomeric material (e.g., rubber, etc.), and theinsert 204 is formed from an expandable and edible material (e.g., acombination of cow milk, salt, and lime juice; etc.). As such, thehousing 202 generally provides a toy component for the pet to play with,and the insert 204 provides a treat component for the pet to eat as thepet plays with the toy 200. Further, with this construction, the housing202 is configured to outlast the insert 204 when the toy 200 is providedto the pet, such that when the insert 204 is consumed (or depleted) bythe pet, another insert can be positioned in the housing 202 forcontinued use of the toy 200. With that said, it should again beappreciated that the housing 202 and/or the insert 204 may be formedfrom other suitable materials within the scope of the presentdisclosure, such as any of those described herein.

In the illustrated embodiment, the housing 202 of the pet toy 200further includes ribs 220 provided along an interior surface of thehousing's opening 206 (e.g., within an internal area of the opening 206,along sidewalls of the opening 206, etc.). The ribs 220 function to helpincrease retention of the insert 204 in the opening 206 after the insert204 is expanded. In other exemplary embodiments, structure other thanthe ribs 220 may be included in the opening 206 of the housing 202 tohelp increase retention of the insert 204 therein (e.g., textures,grooves, crevasses, dimples, protrusions, bumps, ridges, etc.). Inaddition, or alternatively, additional materials such as adhesives, etc.may be applied to the interior surface of the housing's opening 206 toeven further increase binding between the insert 204 and the housing202.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the insert 204 of the pet toy 200 isconfigured to be positioned within the opening 206 of the housing 202,and then expanded (via a catalyst) to couple the insert 204 and housing202 together. For example, the insert 204 is initially placed in theopening 206 of housing 202 before being expanded (FIG. 8). And the toy200, with the insert 204 placed in the opening 206 of the housing 202,is then heated or exposed to microwave energy (e.g., using a microwave,etc.) to expand the insert 204 within the housing's opening 206 (e.g.,via release of gasses within the insert 204, via other actions occurringin the insert 204, etc.). In the illustrated embodiment, a cross sectionof the insert 204 is generally smaller than a corresponding crosssection of the housing's opening 206 to allow the insert 204, beforebeing expanded, to easily fit within the opening 206 (e.g., to freelymove into and/or out of the opening 206, etc.) without interference fromthe housing 202 (e.g., a cross-sectional area of the insert 204 isgenerally smaller than a corresponding cross-sectional area of theopening 206 of the housing 202, etc.). After expansion, the insert 204substantially fills the housing's opening 206 (FIG. 9), expandinggenerally around the ribs 220 which helps seat, secure, retain, etc. theinsert 204 in the housing 202 (and helps inhibit the insert 204 frommoving out of the housing 202). And, while not required, an end portion208 of the insert 204, which expands generally around at least part ofan end portion 212 of the housing 202, extends partially out of thehousing's opening 206 and is readily accessible to the pet as the petplays with the toy 200 (e.g., for consumption, etc.).

FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a housing 302 suitablefor use with pet toys of the present disclosure (e.g., pet toy 100, pettoy 200, pet toy 500, etc.). The illustrated housing 302 is generallyelongate and irregular (and complex) in shape. And, multiple openings306 (e.g., recesses, folds, etc.) are defined in the housing 302 forreceiving inserts therein (e.g., the insert 104, the inert 204, theinsert 404, the inserts 504, other inserts, etc.). In the illustratedembodiment, at least some of the openings 306 are non-uniform in shape(e.g., include interior portions that define non-uniform shapes, etc.).In addition, the openings 306 extend only partially into the housing302, and do not extend completely through the housing 302 (although inother exemplary embodiments, one or more of the openings 306 may extendcompletely through the housing 302). Further, ribs 320 are providedalong interior surfaces of the housing's openings 306 (e.g., withininternal areas of the openings 306, along sidewalls of the openings 306,etc.) to help increase retention of the inserts in the openings 306after the inserts are expanded. The illustrated housing 302 is againformed from an inedible and durable elastomeric material (e.g., rubber,etc.), but could be formed from other suitable materials within thescope of the present disclosure (e.g., any of the other materialsdescribed herein, etc.).

Any suitable insert(s) may be used with the housing 302, including anyof the insets described herein, etc. For example, the insert 104 and/orthe insert 404 may be used with the housing, where the inserts 104, 404are initially broken into smaller portions (to accommodate the smalleropenings 306 of the housing 302) which are then positioned within theopenings 306 of the housing 302 (before being expanded). Alternatively,or in addition, the insert 204 and/or the inserts 504 may be used (asthey may already be correspondingly sized to fit generally within theopenings 306 of the housing 302, before being expanded). With that said,it should be appreciated that the insert(s) used with the housing 302can generally have any suitable size and/or shape, as long as theinsert(s) are able to fit generally within the openings 306 of thehousing 302 before being expanded. The expanding nature/quality of theinsert(s) then allows the insert(s) to substantially fill the openings306 (regardless of the shape of the openings 306).

In some exemplary embodiments, the housing 302 may further include acavity, channel, etc. defined in the housing 302 and interconnected withone or more of the openings 306. Here, for example, additional treats,etc. may be positioned within the cavity, and then inserts may bepositioned within the openings 306. As a pet consumes (or depletes) theinserts, the additional treats in the cavity then become accessible.Alternatively, a single insert may be positioned initially within thecavity where, upon expansion, the single insert then generally fills thecavity and each of the openings 306.

FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of an insert 404 suitablefor use with pet toys of the present disclosure (e.g., pet toy 100, pettoy 200, pet toy 500, etc.). The insert 404 is elongate in shape anddefines a generally square cross-section. And, the insert 404 isconstructed from edible material (e.g., a combination of cow milk, salt,and lime juice; etc.) that expands with heated or when exposed tomicrowave energy. As such, the insert 404 can be positioned inopening(s) of a housing and expanded, as described herein. For example,the insert 404 can be positioned within the opening 106 of the housing102 and then expanded to couple the insert 404 and the housing 102together. Or, portions of the insert 404 could be broken-off and usedwith the housing 202, the housing 302, or the housing 502. In otherexemplary embodiments, the insert 404 may define other shapes havingother cross sections, for example, other cuboid shapes, elongate shapesthat define generally rectangular cross-sections, etc.

FIGS. 12-14 illustrate another exemplary embodiment of a toy 500including one or more aspects of the present disclosure. Again withoutlimitation, the toy 500 is described herein as a pet toy 500, for use bypets where the pets can play with, chew on, etc. the toy 500. However,it should be appreciated that the toy 500 may also (or alternatively) beprovided to and/or used by animals other than pets within the scope ofthe present disclosure.

The pet toy 500 of this embodiment generally includes a housing 502, andmultiple inserts 504 configured to be positioned within the housing 502.As described herein, the inserts 504 are then configured to be expanded(using suitable catalysts) within the housing 502 to secure, retain,etc. the inserts 504 within the housing 502. In this embodiment, thehousing 502 is shaped as a generally hollow ball, having a cavity 526(broadly, and opening) defined therein and multiple openings 506 definedin a wall portion 528 of the housing 502 (and in communication with thecavity 526). And, the inserts 504 are each generally oval in shape(e.g., defining a pellet, etc.), and are each sized to fit though theopenings 506 of the housing 502 for positioning within the cavity 526(before being expanded). With that said, in other exemplary embodiments,pet toys may include housings and/or inserts having other shapes, forexample, preformed housings, housings that define bone shapes, ballshapes, etc. and/or inserts that define square shapes, rectangularshapes, pellet shapes, etc.

Also in this embodiment, the housing 502 is again formed from aninedible and durable elastomeric material (e.g., rubber, etc.), and theinserts 504 are formed from an expandable and edible material (e.g., acombination of cow milk, salt, and lime juice; etc.). As such, thehousing 502 generally provides a toy component for the pet to play with,and the inserts 504 provide a treat component for the pet to eat as thepet plays with the toy 500. Further, with this construction, the housing502 is configured to outlast the inserts 504 when the toy 500 isprovided to the pet, such that when the inserts 504 are consumed (ordepleted) by the pet, additional inserts can be positioned in thehousing 502 for continued use of the toy 500. In addition, theillustrated housing 502 is also generally transparent, such that theinserts 504 can be viewed through the wall portion 528 of the housing.It should again be appreciated that the housing 502 and/or the inserts504 may be formed from other suitable materials within the scope of thepresent disclosure, such as any of those described herein.

As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the inserts 504 of the pet toy 500 areconfigured to be positioned within the cavity 526 of the housing 502(via one or more of the openings 506), and then expanded (via acatalyst). For example, the inserts 504 are initially placed in thecavity 526 of the housing 502 before being expanded (FIG. 13). The toy500, with the inserts 504 placed in the cavity 526 of the housing 502,is then heated or exposed to microwave energy (e.g., using a microwave,etc.) to expand the inserts 504 within the cavity 526 (e.g., via releaseof gasses within the inserts 504, via other actions occurring in theinserts 504, etc.). A cross section of each of the inserts 504, beforebeing expanded, is generally smaller than a corresponding cross sectionof the housing's openings 506 to allow the inserts 504 to easily fitthrough the openings 506 and into the cavity 526 (e.g., to freely moveinto and/or out of the openings 506 and/or the cavity 526, etc.) withoutinterference. The expanded inserts 504 are then generally smaller insize than the cavity 526 of the housing 502 and thus are free to movearound the cavity 526 (FIG. 14). However, the expanded inserts 504 aregenerally larger in size than the openings 506 of the housing 502 andare inhibited from exiting the housing 502 through the openings 506(FIG. 14).

In this embodiment, additional treats, etc. may also be positionedwithin the cavity 526 of the housing 502. Here, the expanded inserts 504may initially tend to block the treats from exiting the housing 502through the openings 506. However, as a pet consumes (or depletes) theinserts 504 (which are accessible through the openings 506), theadditional treats in the cavity 526 may then also then become accessiblethrough the openings 506 (such that the pet toy 500 also operates as ametering device for the additional treats).

FIGS. 15-17 illustrate another exemplary embodiment of a toy 600including one or more aspects of the present disclosure. Again withoutlimitation, the toy 600 is described herein as a pet toy 600, for use bypets where the pets can play with, chew on, etc. the toy 600. However,it should be appreciated that the toy 600 may also (or alternatively) beprovided to and/or used by animals other than pets within the scope ofthe present disclosure.

The pet toy 600 of this embodiment is similar to the pet toy 100previously described and illustrated n FIGS. 1-6. For example, the pettoy 600 generally includes a housing 602, and an insert 604 configuredto be positioned within the housing 602. The insert 604 is then alsoconfigured to be expanded (using suitable catalysts) within the housing602 to generally couple the insert 604 and the housing 602 together. Inthis embodiment, the housing 602 defines a generally taco shape (e.g., agenerally folded shape, etc.) having an opening 606 (e.g., a spacing,etc.) extending there through generally between sides 634, 636 of thehousing 602. The opening 606 extends generally completely through theillustrated housing 602 although, in other exemplary embodiments, theopening 606 may extend only partially through the housing 602. And, theinsert 604 is generally elongate in shape and defines a generally squarecross-section, and is configured to fit at least partially within theopening 606 of the housing 602 between the sides 634, 636.

The housing 602 of the illustrated pet toy 600 is again formed from aninedible and durable elastomeric material (e.g., synthetic rubber,etc.), and the insert 604 is formed from an expandable and ediblematerial (e.g., a combination of cow milk, salt, and lime juice; etc.).As such, the housing 602 generally provides a toy component for the petto play with, and the insert 604 provides a treat component for the petto eat as the pet plays with the toy 600. Further, with thisconstruction, the housing 602 is configured to outlast the insert 604when the toy 600 is provided to the pet, such that when the insert 604is consumed (or depleted) by the pet, another insert can be positionedin the housing 602 for continued use of the toy 600. With that said, itshould again be appreciated that the housing 602 and/or the insert 604may be formed from other suitable materials within the scope of thepresent disclosure, such as any of those described herein.

In the illustrated embodiment, the housing 602 of the pet toy 600 alsoincludes ribs 620 provided along an interior surface of the housing'sopening 606 (e.g., within an internal area of the opening 606, along thesides 634, 636 of the opening 606, etc.). The ribs 620 function to helpincrease retention of the insert 604 in the opening 606 after the insert604 is expanded. In other exemplary embodiments, structure other thanthe ribs 620 may be included in the opening 606 of the housing 602 tohelp increase retention of the insert 604 therein (e.g., textures,grooves, crevasses, dimples, protrusions, bumps, ridges, etc.). Inaddition, or alternatively, other materials such as adhesives, etc. maybe applied to the interior surface of the housing's opening 606 to evenfurther increase binding between the insert 604 and the housing 602.

As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the insert 604 of the pet toy 600 isconfigured to be positioned within the opening 606 of the housing 602between the sides 634, 636, and then expanded (via a catalyst) togenerally couple the insert 604 and housing 602 together. For example,the insert 604 is initially placed in the opening 606 of housing 602before being expanded (FIG. 16). And the toy 600, with the insert 604placed in the opening 606 of the housing 602, is then heated or exposedto microwave energy (e.g., using a microwave, etc.) to expand the insert604 within the housing's opening 606 (e.g., via release of gasses withinthe insert 604, via other actions occurring in the insert 604, etc.)(FIG. 17). The insert 604 is then selectively accessible to the pet,through the housing's opening 606, as the pet plays with the toy 600(e.g., for consumption, etc.).

Also in the illustrated embodiment, the insert 604, before beingexpanded, is generally larger than the opening 606 of the housing 602(e.g., a height dimension 638 of the insert 604 is generally larger thana spacing between the sides 634, 636 of the housing 602, a cross sectionof the insert 604 is generally larger than the spacing between the sides634, 636 of the housing 602, etc.). To accommodate the insert 604, thehousing 602 is therefore configured to resiliently deform, flex, etc.(e.g., the sides 634, 636 are configured to move apart, pivot, etc.generally along hinges 640, 642; etc.) so that the insert 604 can bepositioned within the opening 606 and then expanded. After expansion,the insert 604 substantially fills the housing's opening 606, expandinggenerally outwardly and around the ribs 620 (which, together with inwardforces from the sides 634, 636 of the resiliently flexed housing 602,helps seat, secure, retain, etc. the insert 604 in the housing 602 andinhibit the insert 604 from moving out of the housing 602). In addition,the resilient nature of the housing 602 facilitates reuse of the housing602 when the insert 604 is depleted.

As can be seen, the toys of the present disclosure can include housingswith single openings or multiple openings. And, because the mode ofretention between the housings and the inserts is generally driven byexpansion of the inserts, the inserts can be easily placed in theopenings of the housings, before being expanded, and then securelyretained in the housings after being expanded. As such, unlike otherknown pet toys, specific configurations of the openings and/or theinserts (and/or inclusion of additional structure over the openings) arenot necessary to ensure that the inserts are retained within thehousings. In addition, because of the expansion feature, shapes of theinserts do not need to closely match shapes of the openings of thehousings in order to retain the inserts within the housings; theexpanding quality, nature, etc. of the inserts will accommodate anydifferences in shapes, sizes, etc. between the inserts and the openings,as well as accommodate any irregular and/or complex shaped openings.

The toys of the present disclosure can also be easily formed, prepared,etc. by simply positioning the inserts into the openings of thehousings, and then expanding the inserts (via catalysts) to form thefinal version of the toys. As can be seen, supports, forms, etc. are notrequired to support, hold, contain, etc. the inserts in the openings ofthe housing when expanding the inserts. Instead, the inserts can simplyrest on portions of the housings (e.g., within the openings of thehousings, etc.) when being expanded.

Exemplary embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will bethorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled inthe art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples ofspecific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thoroughunderstanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will beapparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not beemployed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many differentforms and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of thedisclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes,well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are notdescribed in detail. In addition, advantages and improvements that maybe achieved with one or more exemplary embodiments of the presentdisclosure are provided for purpose of illustration only and do notlimit the scope of the present disclosure, as exemplary embodimentsdisclosed herein may provide all or none of the above mentionedadvantages and improvements and still fall within the scope of thepresent disclosure.

Specific dimensions, specific materials, and/or specific shapesdisclosed herein are example in nature and do not limit the scope of thepresent disclosure. The disclosure herein of particular values andparticular ranges of values for given parameters are not exclusive ofother values and ranges of values that may be useful in one or more ofthe examples disclosed herein. Moreover, it is envisioned that any twoparticular values for a specific parameter stated herein may define theendpoints of a range of values that may be suitable for the givenparameter (i.e., the disclosure of a first value and a second value fora given parameter can be interpreted as disclosing that any valuebetween the first and second values could also be employed for the givenparameter). For example, if Parameter X is exemplified herein to havevalue A and also exemplified to have value Z, it is envisioned thatparameter X may have a range of values from about A to about Z.Similarly, it is envisioned that disclosure of two or more ranges ofvalues for a parameter (whether such ranges are nested, overlapping ordistinct) subsume all possible combination of ranges for the value thatmight be claimed using endpoints of the disclosed ranges. For example,if parameter X is exemplified herein to have values in the range of1-10, or 2-9, or 3-8, it is also envisioned that Parameter X may haveother ranges of values including 1-9, 1-8, 1-3, 1-2, 2-10, 2-8, 2-3,3-10, and 3-9.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularexemplary embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As usedherein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” may be intended toinclude the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “including,” and“having,” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of statedfeatures, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, butdo not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features,integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groupsthereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described hereinare not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance inthe particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specificallyidentified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood thatadditional or alternative steps may be employed.

When an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “engaged to,”“connected to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may bedirectly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element orlayer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast,when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly engagedto,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another elementor layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Otherwords used to describe the relationship between elements should beinterpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directlybetween,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein,the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more ofthe associated listed items.

The term “about” when applied to values indicates that the calculationor the measurement allows some slight imprecision in the value (withsome approach to exactness in the value; approximately or reasonablyclose to the value; nearly). If, for some reason, the imprecisionprovided by “about” is not otherwise understood in the art with thisordinary meaning, then “about” as used herein indicates at leastvariations that may arise from ordinary methods of measuring or usingsuch parameters. For example, the terms “generally,” “about,” and“substantially,” may be used herein to mean within manufacturingtolerances. Or for example, the term “about” as used herein whenmodifying a quantity of an ingredient or reactant of the invention oremployed refers to variation in the numerical quantity that can happenthrough typical measuring and handling procedures used, for example,when making concentrates or solutions in the real world throughinadvertent error in these procedures; through differences in themanufacture, source, or purity of the ingredients employed to make thecompositions or carry out the methods; and the like. The term “about”also encompasses amounts that differ due to different equilibriumconditions for a composition resulting from a particular initialmixture. Whether or not modified by the term “about,” the claims includeequivalents to the quantities.

Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein todescribe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections,these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should notbe limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguishone element, component, region, layer or section from another region,layer or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numericalterms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearlyindicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region,layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element,component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachingsof the example embodiments.

Spatially relative terms, such as “inner,” “outer,” “beneath,” “below,”“lower,” “above,” “upper,” and the like, may be used herein for ease ofdescription to describe one element or feature's relationship to anotherelement(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Spatiallyrelative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations ofthe device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depictedin the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turnedover, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements orfeatures would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features.Thus, the example term “below” can encompass both an orientation ofabove and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptorsused herein interpreted accordingly.

With that said, the foregoing description of the embodiments has beenprovided for purposes of illustration and description. It is notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individualelements or features of a particular embodiment are generally notlimited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, areinterchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if notspecifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in manyways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from thedisclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be includedwithin the scope of the disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A pet toy, comprising: a housing defining anopening; and an insert configured to fit at least partly within theopening of the housing, and then be expanded to substantially fill theopening.
 2. The pet toy of claim 1, wherein the opening includes anopening extending through the housing.
 3. The pet toy of claim 1,wherein the opening is a first opening and the insert is a first insert,the housing further defining a second opening, and the pet toy furthercomprising a second insert configured to fit at least partly within thesecond opening of the housing.
 4. The pet toy of claim 1, wherein theopening includes an interior region that defines a non-uniform shape. 5.The pet toy of claim 1, wherein the housing is constructed fromsynthetic material and the insert is constructed from an ediblematerial.
 6. The pet toy of claim 5, wherein the housing defines agenerally cylinder shape.
 7. The pet toy of claim 6, wherein the insertdefines a generally rod shape.
 8. A method for making a pet toy, themethod comprising expanding an insert within a housing of the pet toy,so that the insert is inhibited from moving out of the housing.
 9. Themethod of claim 8, wherein expanding the insert includes heating theinsert or exposing the insert to microwave energy.
 10. The method ofclaim 8, wherein expanding the insert includes expanding the insertwithin an opening of the housing, so that the insert substantially fillsthe opening of the housing.
 11. The method of claim 10, furthercomprising positioning the insert at least partly within the opening ofthe housing, and then expanding the insert within the opening of thehousing.
 12. The method of claim 10, wherein the opening extendscompletely through the housing.
 13. The method of claim 10, wherein theinsert is a first insert and the opening of the housing is a firstopening, and wherein the housing further includes a second opening; themethod further comprising expanding the second insert within the secondopening of the housing, so that the second insert substantially fillsthe second opening of the housing.
 14. The method of claim 10, whereinthe opening includes an interior region that defines a non-uniformshape.
 15. The method of claim 8, wherein the insert is constructed froman edible material.
 16. A pet toy, comprising: a housing defining atleast one opening; and an insert configured to fit at least partlywithin the at least one opening of the housing, wherein the insert isexpandable, when heated or when exposed to microwave energy, from afirst configuration in which the insert is capable of freely moving intoand/or out of the at least one opening of the housing to a secondconfiguration in which the insert is inhibited from moving out of the atleast one opening.
 17. The pet toy of claim 16, wherein the insert has across-sectional area that is about 75% or less of a correspondingcross-sectional area of the at least one opening of the housing.
 18. Thepet toy of claim 16, wherein the insert has a cross-sectional area thatis about 50% or less of a corresponding cross-sectional area of the atleast one opening of the housing.
 19. The pet toy of claim 16, whereinthe at least one opening includes multiple openings.
 20. The pet toy ofclaim 16, wherein the housing is constructed from synthetic material andthe insert is constructed from an edible material.